Impressions
by Breezeh
Summary: More often than not, first impressions are false. Especially the ones about the four Clans. What seems like common knowledge, may, in fact, not be common at all. Maybe you just need to look a little further...past your previous impressions. -oneshot-


**I wrote this as kind of a companion to ****The Darkest Part of the Forest**** because I wanted to expound on this topic a little bit more. I love ShadowClan. I love every last one of them; every asshole of the lot. **

**This is kind of AU, but set in the future. The style is kind of shaky and you aren't supposed to know everything about what's going on. This took me a few days to write because I had to get the style right. **

**Anyway…onto the story. **

The forest was quiet as Featherstar led her Clan through the marshlands that were RiverClan territory. She glanced back over her shoulder occasionally to make sure that none of the apprentices were stuck in the mud, something that happened quite often on their way to the Gathering.

The full moon rose high above the thin, leafless branches, and its milky light shone down on the traveling Clan. As the island came into view, Featherstar lifted her tail, indicating that her Clan should follow her across the log.

Once her Clan had crossed safely…well, almost safely, an apprentice had slipped but the she-cat had, luckily, caught him just in time. Giving her thick, silver pelt a shake, she allowed her Clan to fan out around her before bounding down to meet the others.

Featherstar scrambled up the trunk of the large oak and sat beside the other leaders. Snowstar gave her a nod of respect, and Featherstar knew that she was thanking her for the help she had given her Clan half a moon ago, when they had been suffering from greencough.

The moon had traveled about halfway across the sky by the time the rustling in the bushes alerted the assembled cats to the arrival of the final Clan. A gray speckled tom burst from the bushes, his warriors marching in a tight line behind him. He surveyed the leaders, perched on the branches of the tree, before allowing his warriors to join the other cats while he scrambled nimbly up the trunk and sat on the very top branch.

"Now that all the leaders are here," meowed Featherstar loudly. "The Gathering can begin."

Falconstar's amber eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "I will speak first," he hissed, casting a threatening gaze at the cats below. "ThunderClan has thrived in these past moons. Our prey has been plentiful and our kits have been many." He glanced gloatingly at Brackenstar. "That extra strip of WindClan land has certainly helped."

The russet-colored tom glared, but did not dare speak a word. The entire crowd of cats was suddenly humbled beneath his fierce amber gaze.

"But it is not enough," he continued. "ThunderClan needs more land! We demand that the other Clans give up a portion of your territory to us!"

His demand was met with angry yowls from the other Clans. Featherstar's fur bristled, but she managed to meet Falconstar's gaze evenly and mew,

"Falconstar, your demand is outrageous. ThunderClan has supported themselves before on their territory. There is no reason to change now."

Snowstar looked uneasy. "I suppose a bit of the territory wouldn't hurt," she murmured. A hush fell over all of RiverClan – they had certainly not expected their leader to give up so easily!

Featherstar placed her tail on Snowstar's shoulder. "We will help defend your Clan, Snowstar," she meowed.

"Quiet!" growled Falconstar, and the cats below fell silent. "We have already raided WindClan and taken their territory! And we will do the same to any Clan that dares to oppose the mighty ThunderClan!"

At his words, a rumble of thunder sounded from the sky above, and dark clouds moved to cover the moon. A ripple of murmurs spread throughout the assembled cats, and Featherstar yowled,

"StarClan has spoken! The Gathering is now over!"

Before the silver she-cat could leap down, Falconstar hissed in her ear, "This is not over, Featherstar. ShadowClan will surrender their territory to me."

"Never," retorted Featherstar. Falconstar bared his teeth at her but said no more.

Stormheart, Featherstar's deputy, padded up to her. "You aren't going to agree to Falconstar's demands, are you?" he asked, his amber eyes concerned.

"Of course not," she replied smoothly, guiding her Clan towards the log. "ShadowClan will fight, if we must, for our territory."

Stormheart nodded, and darted off to catch an apprentice who was falling off a log. Featherstar padded up to the front of the crowd, but on the way, she caught a part of a few apprentices' conversation,

"I can't believe Falconstar! ThunderClan are so evil!"

Intrigued, the leader paused and mewed to the small tabby and the black tom he was talking to, "Yes, but ThunderClan weren't always this way."

"Really?" they meowed in unison.

"Really," promised Featherstar. "You've both heard of Firestar, haven't you?"

"Of course," mewed the black tom. "He was the greatest leader in the forest!"

"Well," meowed Featherstar, picking her way around a rock. "He was leader of ThunderClan."

The apprentices' eyes widened in shock. "Really?" the tabby whispered. "He was leader of _ThunderClan_? Was he evil, too?"

"No," replied Featherstar. "Firestar was the greatest leader the forest has ever seen. But he was from ThunderClan. And Tigerstar was from ShadowClan."

"Tigerstar was from _ShadowClan?" _the black apprentice's voice squeaked as he meowed, as if he was still a kit in the nursery. "But ShadowClan is the kindest and noblest Clan in the forest!"

"Times were different then," meowed Featherstar. "The Clans were different. They have changed over time. And perhaps they may change again."

The two apprentices nodded understandingly, their eyes widened, but this time with comprehension. As the ShadowClan leader watched them bound off to catch up with Brackenstar, she smiled to herself.

**What do you think? I tried, but I'm not sure I succeeded in setting the proper mood. Oh well. I don't think it's as good as ****The Darkest Part of the Forest,**** but at least I got to express my point of view some more. I love writing about ShadowClan! It's so much fun to explore their different qualities! **

**Review and tell me what you think, but don't flame me with 'omg shadowclan there so omgevul!' because I will bitch you out if you do. **

**xx-The Breeze-xx**

**As the wind blows…**

**Let me blow your mind… **


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